Happy First Birthday

Because everyone has a birthday, I want to wish my Blog one too. Happy Birthday, PreeOccupied.

It was exactly a year ago when on a cold December day I took my camera, got some pictures clicking and posted here. It has been a long, relishing journey since then. No looking back and definitely no end to all my talking! And thankfully they haven't all been monologues.

A full year later, I sit back and feel privileged that I know  you. You show you care for the work I do by leaving your little note of appreciation and suggestion. Sometimes you correct me, other times you even come back and tell me you have tried one of my recipes, or just drop by to say a Hi. You make me feel I have achieved something precious. And then I hunger for more. And just then someone entrusts me with one their family recipes. It truly becomes my honor to not let you down.

At age one, I am just about beginning to crawl, wobble and reach out to so many of you who have become part of my everyday life. Not one, but hundreds of you who have shared and cared with me and continue to do so.

You make my everyday fun and something to look forward to. So please celebrate with me and have a slice of this trifle dessert I made to mark my first year of Blogging. You may get a teeny little share of it, but you know you have a big chunk of my heart already.

No birthday is complete without return gifts. And I hate flouting traditions. So I made this wannabe-Madhubani painting specially as a return gift for you.

Join my birthday party at PreeOccupied and share your views and opinions on improving my Blog space, recipe suggestions, or anything you think needs a facelift here.

Here is how you can have my maiden Madhubani painting!

• Follow this Blog (via Google Friend Connect or NetworkedBlogs)
• Like my page on Facebook, click on Suggest to Friends, and invite your friends on Facebook to join PreeOccupied
• Four comments per person will be allowed. Do not forget to leave your email and a separate comment for each entry
• Blog or Tweet about what you like about PreeOccupied
• This gift can be taken by anybody from anywhere in the world
• I will choose the person who takes this painting home through random.org at the end of day (EST) on January 15, 2011

Thank you all once again for being part of my journey of Blogging. I look forward to another year of cooking adventures with you all.

Lots of love.

Affectionately yours,

Pree.

P.S. Here is how I made the Trifle following Jamie’s recipe.

Return of the Risotto

I like Jamie Oliver for two reasons. He is a Taurean like me, and he is the most non-hassle chef I have seen. Maybe that’s two good reasons to have two of his bestselling cookbooks in my collection. Though I bought neither.

Its on page 143 of this book, The Naked Chef Takes Off, that I saw this very easy Shrimp and Pea Risotto, with Basil and Mint, two of my favorite herbs. I knew this was my passport to Italy.

However, I did not copy Jamie’s recipe to the core. I admit I made minor adjustments to it to suit my very Indian palate. Instead of cooking the shrimp with the rice, I used a homemade Creole seasoning to marinade the shrimps just to add a little versatility to my Risotto.

Ingredients for the Shrimp and Pea Risotto with Basil and Mint are:

1 and a half cups medium grain rice, I used Arborio
1 liter chicken broth
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3-4 fat cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 heaped cup of shelled green peas
500 grams shrimp, shelled and deveined
Few basil leaves, finely chopped
Few mint leaves, finely chopped
Juice of half lemon
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese (optional)
Olive oil
Butter
Salt

For the Creole seasoning:
Half tablespoon onion powder
Half tablespoon garlic powder
Half teaspoon paprika powder
Half teaspoon cayenne pepper
Half teaspoon black pepper powder
Half teaspoon dried thyme
Half teaspoon dried oregano
Quarter cup of cooking wine for cooking

Marinade the shrimps in the Creole seasoning and keep for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the chicken broth.

In a pan, heat olive oil and fry the garlic and onion till they are pink. Add the rice and fry it for a few minutes on simmerish heat. The rice will start turning translucent. Add half the peas and mix well with the rice.

Add your first ladle of hot chicken broth and a generous pinch of salt at this time, stirring continuously.

Turn the heat down to low and cook the rice. Keep adding ladlefuls of the broth and stir continuously. Let each ladle of broth get absorbed by the rice before you add more.

At this point, you can also add a little dollop of butter.

It takes about 15 minutes for the rice to cook in the chicken broth. It will be soft but retain its al dente texture. Add the remaining peas and stir again. In the last stages of the risotto, you will notice a creamy texture to the rice because of all the starch it has released. Check the seasoning.
Turn the heat off and add the freshly chopped herbs and lemon juice. Mix again. You can add the grated parmesan if you want after you have stopped cooking the risotto.
The Shrimp with the Creole seasoning which essentially is the topping for this risotto has to be cooked simultaneously.  

Heat butter in a pan and add the marinated shrimps. Add a little cooking wine or dry white wine to add a whole lot of flavor to the shrimps.
Let the wine evaporate. Add salt to taste.

  Top the Risotto with the spicy shrimps and serve immediately. Its best to eat the Risotto as soon as possible to enjoy its perfect texture and creaminess.